The present invention relates to a system for monitoring health, wellness and fitness, having a method and apparatus for improved measurement of heat flow, and in particular, to a system for collecting, using a sensor device, and storing at a remote site data relating to an individual""s physiological state, physiological pattern, lifestyle, and various contextual parameters, and making such data and analytical information based on such data available to the individual, preferably over an electronic network. The present invention also relates to improved means and methods for measuring heat flow between a living body and an ambient environment and for generating information related thereto.
Research has shown that a large number of the top health problems in society are either caused in whole or in part by an unhealthy lifestyle. More and more, our society requires people to lead fast-paced, achievement-oriented lifestyles that often result in poor eating habits, high stress levels, lack of exercise, poor sleep habits and the inability to find the time to center the mind and relax. Recognizing this fact, people are becoming increasingly interested in establishing a healthier lifestyle.
Traditional medicine, embodied in the form of an HMO or similar organizations, does not have the time, the training, or the reimbursement mechanism to address the needs of those individuals interested in a healthier lifestyle. There have been several attempts to meet the needs of these individuals, including a perfusion of fitness programs and exercise equipment, dietary plans, self-help books, alternative therapies, and most recently, a plethora of health information web sites on the Internet. Each of these attempts are targeted to empower the individual to take charge and get healthy. Each of these attempts, however, addresses only part of the needs of individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle and ignores many of the real barriers that most individuals face when trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. These barriers include the fact that the individual is often left to himself or herself to find motivation, to implement a plan for achieving a healthier lifestyle, to monitor progress, and to brainstorm solutions when problems arise; the fact that existing programs are directed to only certain aspects of a healthier lifestyle, and rarely come as a complete package; and the fact that recommendations are often not targeted to the unique characteristics of the individual or his life circumstances.
A system is disclosed for detecting, monitoring and reporting human physiological information. The system includes a sensor device adapted to be placed in contact with an individual""s upper arm. The sensor device includes at least one of an accelerometer, a GSR sensor and a heat flux sensor and is adapted to generate data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response, and heat flow of the individual wearing the sensor device. The sensor device may also be adapted to generate derived data from at least a portion of the data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response and heat flow. The sensor device may include a computer housing and a flexible wing body having first and second wings adapted to wrap around a portion of the individual""s arm. The sensor device may also be adapted to provide audible, visible or tactile feedback to the wearer.
The system also includes a central monitoring unit located remote from the sensor device. The central monitoring unit generates analytical status data from at least one of the data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response and heat flow, the derived data, and analytical status data that has previously been generated. The central monitoring unit may also be adapted to generate derived data from the data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response and heat flow. The central monitoring unit also includes a data storage device for retrievably storing the data it receives and generates. The disclosed system also includes means for establishing electronic communication between the sensor device and the central monitoring unit. Also included in the system is a means for transmitting the data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response and heat flow, the derived data, and/or the analytical status data to a recipient, such as the individual or a third party authorized by the individual.
The central monitoring unit may be adapted to generate one or more web pages containing the data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response and heat flow, the derived data, and/or the analytical status data. The web pages generated by the central monitoring unit are accessible by the recipient over an electronic network, such as the Internet. Alternatively, the data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response and heat flow, the derived data, and/or the analytical status data may be transmitted to the recipient in a physical form such as mail or facsimile.
The system may also obtain life activities data of the individual and may use such life activities data when generating the analytical status data. Furthermore, the sensor device may also be adapted to generate data indicative of one or more contextual parameters of the individual. The system may then use the data indicative of one or more contextual parameters when generating the analytical status data.
Also disclosed is a system for monitoring the degree to which an individual has followed a suggested routine. The system includes a sensor device as described above. Also included is a means for transmitting the data that is generated by the sensor device to a central monitoring unit remote from the sensor device and means for providing life activities data of the individual to the central monitoring unit. The central monitoring unit is adapted to generate and provide feedback to a recipient relating to the degree to which the individual has followed the suggested routine. The feedback is generated from at least a portion of at least one of the data indicative of at least one of activity, galvanic skin response and heat flow, the derived data, and the life activities data.
The suggested routine may include a plurality of categories, wherein the feedback is generated and provided with respect to each of the categories. Examples of the categories include nutrition, activity level, mind centering, sleep, and daily activities. The feedback may be provided in graphical form and maybe contained in one or more web pages generated by the central monitoring unit. Alternatively, the feedback may be transmitted to the recipient in a physical form.
Also disclosed are improved means and methods for generating or measuring heat flow information in a physiological setting. The means includes, but is not limited to, a heat pipe configuration having a heat conduit having a first surface in thermal communication with an individual""s skin and a second surface in thermal communication with a first side of a heat flux sensor. The means may include a second heat conduit having a first surface in thermal communication with a second side of the heat flux sensor and a second surface in thermal communication with the ambient environment. As used herein the phrase ambient environment refers to the environmental medium surrounding the individual""s body with which that body""s heat is primarily exchanged, for example without limitation, air for an individual when walking on land, or water when swimming. Note that the portion of the ambient environment that is affected by the heat and/or moisture of the individual""s body is referred to herein as the near body zone and in some embodiments utilizing a heat pipe configuration it is preferred that the second side of the heat flux sensor be placed in communication with the near body zone. Such a heat pipe configuration may be used in the sensor device and with the system described above to provide more meaningful information related to heat flow.